Thousands are gathering to say final farewell to firefighter Kennedy on Thursday.

Thousands are gathering to say final farewell to firefighter Kennedy on Thursday.

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Updated: 6:52 AM EDT Apr 3, 2014

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WEBVTT OF A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT. 21-YEAR-OLD TYLER PULLAM WAS ARRESTED LAST WEEK. TODAY PAYING A FINAL FAREWELL TO A BOSTON FIREFIGHTER, WE'RE NOW LEARNING TOUCHED SO MANY LIVES. AND THE "EYEOPENER'S" TODD KAZAKIEWICH IS LIVE IN DORCHESTER WHERE FIREFIGHTERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE GATHERING EVEN AT THIS EARLY HOUR. TODD? GOOD MORNING. WE ARE BACK AT BAYSIDE EXPO, AND JUST LIKE YESTERDAY, FIREFIGHTERS WILL STAGE HERE AND THEN BOARD BUSES TO WEST ROXBURY. WE'RE EX EXPECTING TO SEE ANOTHER 10,000 FIREFIGHTERS TODAY, JUST LIKE AT THE FUNERAL OF ED WALSH YESTERDAY AND AT THE WAKE OF MICHAEL KENNEDY LAST NIGHT. FIREFIGHTERS AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE. MANY CAME TO MICHAEL KENNEDY'S WAKE RIGHT AFTER THE FUNERAL OF ED WALSH, THE OTHER FIREFIGHTER KILLED IN THE BEACON STREET FIRE. MICHAEL KENNEDY WAS JUST 33 YEARS OLD. HE'LL BE HONORED FOR MAKING THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE IN THE LINE OF DUTY. BUT FIREFIGHTING WAS JUST ONE OF MANY WAYS HE HELPED OTHERS. HE WAS THE GUY. IF SOMEBODY NEEDED SOMETHING, MICHAEL WOULD TRY TO GET IT FOR THEM. KATHLEEN CROSBY BELL SAID SHE ALWAYS WORE HER SON'S MARINE CORPS DOG TAGS CLOSE TO HER HEART, A REMINDER OF THEIR CLOSE BOND. MICHAEL SERVED IN THE MARINES BEFORE JOINING BOSTON FIRE SIX YEARS AGO. HE'S ALSO REMEMBERED AS A VOLUNTEER FOR THE BIG BROTHERS, BIG SISTERS PROGRAM. FOR THE PAST SEVEN YEARS, MIKE MENTORED 14-YEAR-OLD ALEX. WHEN HE CAME IN, HE CHANGED MY LIFE. HE ALWAYS ENCOURAGED US TO DO BETTER, ME AND MY SISTER. THE FUNERAL FOR MICHAEL KENNEDY BEGAN AT 11:00 A.M. WITH A PRAYER FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CHIEF CHAPLAIN, ALONG WITH PRESIDENT OF BOSTON FIREFIGHTERS LOCAL 718 AND DEVIN PATRICK KENNEDY, MICHAEL'S COUSIN. THEN THE FINAL COMMENDATION BY CARDINAL O'MALLEY. AND ALEX, WHO IS THE 14-YEAR-OLD BOY MENTIONED BY MICHAEL KENNEDY, WILL ALSO HAVE A SMALL ROLE IN TODAY'S SERVICE. AGAIN, THE FUNERAL IS SCHEDULED

Thousands gathering to say final farewell to firefighter Kennedy

Thousands are gathering to say final farewell to firefighter Kennedy on Thursday.